Victor Harbor cruise ship plan’s choppy reception from Carnival Australia
A PLAN to bring cruise ship passengers direct to Victor Harbor’s Granite Island has had a wary response from the country’s biggest cruise operator.
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A PLAN to bring cruise ship passengers direct to Victor Harbor’s Granite Island has had a wary response from the country’s biggest cruise operator.
Carnival Australia – which accounts for 70 per cent of Australia’s cruise market – is sceptical about the logistics of bringing thousands of passengers across the town’s heritage-listed causeway to the mainland.
Victor Harbor Council is working on designs for new boating infrastructure on Granite Island, in a bid to bring tourists directly to what it sees as the “jewel” in the region’s crown.
The council has set aside $5000 for a business case for cruise ship infrastructure in the town.
Its boating committee this week received a report that stated building the infrastructure to allow tender boats to dock at Granite Island and get passengers safely over the causeway, could cost $10 million – $20 million.
Sture Myrmell, president of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises, said guests wanted quick and easy access to destinations.
“You’ve got to get 2000 people across (the causeway) in a relatively short period of time and then get them all back again – you can see how that can become a big challenge,” he said.
“You can use Granite Island as a destination and people can have a look around there but there are limits to what you can do.
“We’d never say never but from what we’ve seen, we’re not convinced that Granite Island is the right way to develop it as a destination.”
Mr Myrmell said the company was open to considering Victor Harbor for its itineraries but it made more sense to bring tender boats directly to the mainland.
The council sees Granite Island as an attractive option for the infrastructure – which could also be used by other local boaties – because of its deep waters and protection from sea swell.
Victor Harbor Mayor Graham Philp said although the council had voted to work on designs for boating infrastructure near the island’s Screwpile jetty, it had not ruled out other options, including one near the causeway boat ramp.
“When you’re looking at environmental issues, you’re looking at the effects on the seabeds and any dredging that may be required, to make sure we limit that,” Mr Philp said.
“As far as I’m aware, the area by the screw pile jetty (on Granite Island) covers off on a lot of issues but we still need to investigate that.”
Council staff would report back on the project’s feasibility, cost-benefit analysis and potential environmental issues, before deciding whether to go ahead, Mr Philp said.
A report to the district’s boating advisory committee, which met this week, found the causeway had “limitations due to structural load capacity”.
It said the causeway would likely need to be rebuilt to accommodate cruise ship passengers.
Upgrading the causeway and Screwpile jetty and building the landing structure could cost $10-$20 million.
The SA Tourism Commission will help the council with the project’s business case.
However, the boating committee report said during a recent meeting between the council and government departments, the commission advised there could not be “any expectation that cruise ships will use a Granite Island tender platform as the mainland is the preferred location for the cruise ship sector”.
The Australian Marine Wildlife Research and Rescue Organisation is concerned the island’s little penguin population could be affected by plans.
But the report said the Environment Department “don’t believe there is an issue regarding penguins”.
“The last remaining penguins are in most human populated area of island by choice and shouldn’t be bothered by the additional people,” it said.
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